Clothes-reel.



C. J. GAUSS.

CLOTHES REEL.

APPLICATION flu-:D SEPT. 3.- |915.

1 ,220,21 5 Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.y

(GEIQ:

INVENTOH ATTOFi N EY CHARLES J. Gauss, or DULUTH, iviiivivnsorn.

CLOTHES-REEL.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

Application led September 3, 1915. Serial No. 48,902.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. GAUss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county ofSt. Louis and Sta-te of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Reels, of which the following is a specification.

has primarily for its object to provide a collapsible clothes reel, which when folded, will automatically house itself to be protected from the inclemencies of the weather, and to occupy a minimum amount of space.

Another object ofthe invention isto provide a manually operable device, which may be converted, at the option of the user, by a simple operation of a hand-crank to assume an operative or inoperative position.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of my invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a clothes reel constructed in accordance with my invention, the latter being shown in an operative position,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, showing the device in an inoperative position,

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the reel, when in a closed position,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the reelarm supporting sleeve.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the device,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the sprocket chain used in the present invention, by which the reel arms are elevated, showing the manner of connection between the sprocket chain and said reel arms, and

Fig. 7 is a detail enlarged perspective view of the means connecting the reel arms and sprocket chain, and also the guiding means.

In the drawings, a housing 1 is provided which in this instance is of a polygonal conguration, the body of which is preferably formed of metal, and has engaged with the lowerl margin thereof, a base 2, made of wood, the latter having portions 3 projected therefrom to provide securing ears.

-per vterminal of the latter, to provide an abutment to limit the downward Vmovement of a closure 5, the latter in this instance be-V ing of a conical contour, so as to facilitate shedding of rain, etc., therefrom. This invention relates to clothes reels and Detachably mounted uponthe inner face ofthe base2, is a tube 6 which is concentrically arranged within the housing 1v and is split from its upper terminal to a point in close proximity to its base. The base of said tube is closed, as shown to advantage in Fig. 2, 4and is engaged by a screw 7 the latter extending through the base 2 of the receptacle, whereby to permit said tube to b e disengaged from the housing when so desire A tube 8 is sleevedupon the tube 6, the upper terminal of said tube 8 being closed and being engaged by the threaded shank 9 of a knob 10, which is detachably mounted in the closure 5. The tube 8 is'provided with an elongated longitudinally extending slit 11 therein which extends through the vlower terminal of the tube, the latter being lixedly engaged with a cross bar 12. The opposite ends of thebar 12 are bifurcated, as indicated at 13, to provide guides for engagement on the ribs or tracks 14:, the latter' being arranged at diametrically opposite points on the inner periphery of the Vhousing 1. The ribs 14 extend from the base 2of the housing to the upper terminal of the latter, as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 2, and will preclude possibility of the bar 12 from Vrotating when actuated within the housing 1.

The reel mechanism per se embodies apair of sleeves l5 which are arranged in superyposed relation upon Vthe tube 8, and areslidable thereon. The lower of said sleeves is equipped on its outer periphery withka plurality of ears 16 which are arranged in pairs and are provided with corresponding apertures therein. Reel arms 17 are adapted for pivotal association with the ears 16, each of said arms being slightly shorter than the length of the housing 1, so as to be accommodated therein, when the reel is in a closed Y position, as indicated in Fig. 2. The arms may be of any desired coniiguration and are provided therein with apertures 18, through which cables may be passed if desired for supporting clothes thereon. In Fig.v 1,

chains 19 have been shown as associated with the reel arms, in order to illustrate the application of a supporting mediumrrforthe clothes. Each of the arms has its inner terminal reduced, as indicated at V20,vv and pivotally mounted between a pair of earslG. on the lower of the sleeves 15, thereby permitting .said arms vto .automaticallyY gravitate when the tube 8 is elevated. The movement of the arms 17 in a downward .plane is limited in view of a plurality of link members 20', each ioi' the latter ini this finstancecomprising asingle rod, one endot `whichfis loosely secured to a suitable-.axis on the outer periphery ois thel upper otvsaid: sleeves115, whileA the loweriend of each is-in pivotal engagementfwith one of. the-arms 17, adjacent the lower terminal .of thevlatter.

The reel mechanism is'actuated by a hand- J crank 21, said' ci'anlrbeing in connection 4with a sprocket-i`vheel22, the Alatterhaving trained thereover, a sprocket chain'QS, as illustratedhto -advantage in '-i-Fig. f 6. i'The lsprocketchain 23 -isllikewise trained over o .a pair -ofsprocket wheels '24, the Elatterbeing mounted upon thewinner periphery ot'4k the `housing 2 1, A adjacent l the f opposite V'ends- `of the latter. 'As Y shownv to advantage .ini Fig. G, one of the biturcated ends of the bar212 is. equippcdewith a ringwineinber 25,-which yisfengaged'through one of thel'links inthe sprocket Ychain Q3,- therebycausing saidy bar *12. to be elevated upon the tube 6 when pressure isexerted :upon the crank 21. iThe reel Amay beheldinany .positionf'desirech iny view of a pawl and ratchetineclianism, which isy mounted on 4the outeriiperipliery ofithe lhousing 1 and y'is iassociated with ithe crank 21.

'Ik triprodl27y is mounted uponthe 4interior of the"tube'6,one end-28 thereof` being turned at. right angles toi the body Land haiing its 'free terminali ingpivotalfengagement-with. the inner periphery ot the sleeve `15. A'The' opposite enda-is turned into parallelisniv'withy the 'right-angled portion 28,- as indicated at129, the 'free-terminal of the latter being extended -z rppreciably; beyond the ytree -terminah of the* rightdangled"l portion'QSt and lying in the path ot a'nger 80, -whichdepends Yfroml the lower marginal yedge -ot thelbar 12. lThe trip-rod, asvwill bev appreciated, Yis afsecon'dary mover'ior the arm 17,-'in order toc'o'llapselthe samefto permit 4association of the same with the housing The 'primemoven .as will be appreciated, *is`V thecrank 21, vwhich when actuated will causepressure lto be exerted upon the barf12,=assuming that it is desired #to closeA the clothes reel, thereby imparting `movement to the armi 17, so-as fto relatively lmove the latter, to'coniorm. substantially to "the size of the housing 1, toI permit .of their being expeditiously introduced .intof the' Vlatf-ter. As soon as the. bar- 12has moved appredetermined distanceV downwardly upon the tube 8, when the clothes-'reel isxin an open position, shown in Fig. 1, contact will be made between the finger 3() and the rightangledv terminal 29 lof the trip-rod 27, causingpressure to be exerted on the latter for pulling the sleeve 15 downwardly on the o tube 8,. incidentally intercommunicatingmotion to the rods 20, for relatively moving the ln operation, therefore assuming that the device is in a closedfpo'sition, asV shown` in `ligiand itisdesired toelevate' theclothes reel, pressure is `exerted iiponl'th el crank 21 in confiunecftion withi the=`closuife Qnwhich is -Gai'riedFbythe' tube. 'As previouslystated,

the iarinl 17 may lbe heldfinl any idesi-i'ed-i position,r althouglr the complete :phase Vcit-move- .inent of the arinsis that` as shown in! Fig 1 1, since urtherlinovement is prohibited, lin

view off thelrods'QO. '.The1arm17 wlill,-of course,fgravitatey just asfsoon'asithe tube 8 'reaches ai predetermined 1p ositioin': above the housing 1. Fllhenitf isdesiredlwto-y elose1 the reel, pressure is' ,exertedV upon ythe'` crank.Av 21 iii a counterdirection to ytliatifrst mentioned,

' whichwilll :impartniovement tozthe Ksprocket;

chain Q3 in: a Vcounter direction; thereby voperating theA tube8` downwardly, which aditel' hav-ing: moved a certain distance .=wiill.: oontact with the trip `rod-V527, -toito-rce the. iup- 'per of said:sleeves15'downwardly toward the lower oi' said sleeves, tlierebyiirelatively moving said arms 17.

lt `will benunderstood.thatf the labovedescription 2 and accoinp any-ing Adrawings oomprehen d Aonly,.thefgeneral L and preferred embodiment of my inventionrandi that various minor chan ges 1 in ...details of nconstruc't'ion, proportion .and'aarrangement lof: par-ts.; may

be made within the scope of theappended claims x:without sacrifioingwany Lof. the iadvantages of my invention.

Having Ll thus f' fully :described: my invention, what I claim asi-newL and'desireftosecure byl: Lettersl Patent: is

1. A clothes reel including a housingpa Aslotted tube.l arranged,l centrally. therein, a

second slotted tubelslidably mounted onxthe f iirst, afi/eel .mechanism soper'ablewithin the ihousing, .a tripping :mechanism mounted within. the tubes andl :means: dior; operating the reel mechanism.

2. A clothesl reel f including; a yhousing, v. a v ltelescopic tube having registering .slots varvranged centrally therein, :sliding .collars mounted. on the `outer. ymein-loer of the-tube,

la cross bariixedly secured tothefsaid: vouter member, ai znger idepending'. from: i said bar,

a trip rod vmountediwithinithe1tube-xaiid Yhaving *itsy upper end fsecuredeto :the upperinost Vcollaiuand havingitsflowervendipro- 130 jecting through the slot for engagement with the nger, a reel mechanism operable Within the housing and associated with the collars, and means for operating the mechamsm.

3. A clothes reel including a housing, a-

cross bar, and means imparting 'movement to the cross bar. f Y

Y 5. A clothes reel including a housing, a slotted telescopic tube centrallyV arranged therein, sleeves slidably carried by the tube,

arms pivoted to one of said sleeves, braceV rods pivoted to the other of said sleeves and connected to the arms, a trip rod secured to the said second sleeve, a cross bar secured to the tube, said bar operating the arms in its upward and the trip rod in its doWn- Ward movement, and. means for imparting movement to the cross bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my slgnature in presence of twowtnesses;

CHARLES J. GV Vuss.

lVitnesses:

H. W. ANDREDGE, .loi-1N GoNsKA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

